Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-06-18-Speech-3-055"
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"en.20030618.6.3-055"2
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"Mr President, the timing of this discussion is quite important, given the fact that today's world our generation is living through the greatest revolution in history – telecommunications, technology and transport – as a result of which the world is a much smaller place. For that very reason, influential countries like the United States, or many other countries, or indeed the European Union, are in a stronger position to shape that world because it is a smaller place. For that reason it should be the primary objective of the new century that we use that influence to ensure that there will no longer be any wars or conflict. This means that in practice we send our philosophy of peace and reconciliation to areas of conflict. Of course, the best example of conflict resolution in the history of the world is the European Union: that is something that is hardly ever mentioned, and I often think is sometimes forgotten.
The first half of the century we just left was the worst in the history of the world: two World Wars, 50 million human beings slaughtered. Who could have forecast that those same peoples, at the end of that century, would have come together in the European Union? Therefore, the principles at the heart of the European Union, are principles that should be sent to every area of conflict – I know because the three principles of the European Union are the three principles that produced peace on my own streets in Northern Ireland: respect for difference, no victory and the creation of appropriate institutions. Then, through those institutions, we can work together in our common interests and break down the barriers of the past.
I would like to see that philosophy of the European Union sent to all areas of conflict in the world, and for that reason the European Union should have a Commissioner for peace and reconciliation backed up by a substantial directorate, that could, instead of sending soldiers to areas of conflict, send a team that would promote dialogue. The first message to the Middle East would of course be to get them to agree in advance that it is people that are divided there, not territory, because without territory even the Middle East is only a jungle, and when people are divided, they should agree that they can never solve their problems by any form of violence. They can only do it by agreement and by sitting down to reach that agreement. I believe there is a major opportunity now for the European Union to lead by example, to give leadership to the world and create a world of lasting peace."@en1
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